Fatal and Suspected Serious Injury Crashes along U.S. Route 70 in NC
PROJECT CONTEXT
The Crash Analytics project focuses on analyzing and visualizing geospatial data for three counties in North Carolina: Durham, Wake, and Orange County along a portion of the US 70 Corridor.
The primary objectives are:
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To gain insights into patterns, trends, and potential factors associated with vehicular, pedestrian, and cyclist crashes in these NC counties.
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To provide actionable information for improving road safety and implementing targeted interventions in areas that may need it most.
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To support evidence-based decision-making and policy development for road safety initiatives.
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To serve as a guide for infrastructure improvements, public awareness campaigns, and law enforcement strategies to reduce the occurrence and severity of crashes in NC.
DATA INTERACTION
The data presented in these dashboards is sourced from crash reports submitted by law enforcement officers. These reports cover crashes that involve fatalities, injuries, and property damage exceeding $1,000. The information is gathered from the observations made by the Police officers during their investigation of the crash scene.
These dashboards specifically focus on displaying reported data for fatal and suspected serious injury crashes from the years 2013 to 2022. Other types of crash severities are not included in this dashboard.
Defining Crash Severity Levels
All crashes are assigned a severity level based on the highest level of injury that occurred in the crash. Crash severity in the dashboard tool is classified as:
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Fatal Injury: Resulting in death to a person within 30 days after the crash in which the injury occurred.
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Suspected Serious Injury: Injuries serious enough to prevent normal activity for at least one day such as massive loss of blood, broken bones, etc.
DASHBOARD
Key Insights
Temporal Crash Insights
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The yearly crash trend has an incremental upward slope.
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Most recorded crashes occur in the Fall Season.
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Most frequent crashes occur during 4-7 PM commute hours Wednesday to Friday.
Weather Conditions
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Approximately 80% of crashes occur under “clear” weather condition.
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“Cloudy” weather conditions account for approximately 10%, and “Rain and Other” account for approximately the other 10%.
Pedestrian and Bike Crashes
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People aged 20-29 and 50-59 account for 40% of pedestrian crashes.
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Caucasians are observed to have a two-fold higher involvement rate in bicycle crashes compared to those of African-American background.
